Barrier posts for parking lots and passage ways are well known and have been in widespread public use for many years. For example, Quante U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,910 discloses a barrier for temporarily blocking access to parking places, driveways and access roads. As disclosed, a post is used, which is anchored in the ground and is foldable about an articulation arranged over the ground so that mechanism is activated over a receiver in cooperation with a portable emitter. The post is suitably built as a hollow body, so that the drive and the remaining parts can be safely lodged therein. In this manner, the barrier post can be remote controlled without difficulty from an approaching vehicle by means of the portable emitter.
A more recent Williams U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,110 discloses a vehicle parking barrier for temporarily blocking a reserved space. The barrier is installed on the surface and has a base with legs embedded within the surface. A hinge plate is attached to the base and allows the barrier to be rotated to a horizontal position permitting a vehicle to safely pass over the collapsed barrier. A channel shaped post is pivotally attached to the hinge plate and a rigid strut is retained on one end within the post and on the other to the hinge plate. The strut forms a right angle triangle with the post. In addition, a pull pin holds the upper end of the strut in place and when removed, permits the barrier to be rotated horizontally removing the obstruction. A second, or electromechanical, embodiment utilizes a linear actuator for the strut. An electronic controller receives a signal through a coded radio frequency transmitter and receiver and in turn energizes the actuator to rotate the barrier into a horizontal position. Limit switches control positioning and indicator lights and denote the barrier position. The electrical system operates on low voltage direct current supplied by a D.C. power supply.
Finally, Worsham U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,958 discloses a remote controlled parking barrier apparatus. As disclosed a radio-operated parking barrier apparatus is provided with a base housing, a barrier arm including a shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, and a drive assembly disposed within the base housing that includes a pivot arm having a proximal end affixed to the shaft, and a driver having a reciprocally driven plunger movably connected to the distal end of the pivot arm. The back end of the driver is pivotally connected to the floor panel of the base housing to accommodate the vertical movement of the accurate motion that the end of the plunger must necessarily follow in converting the linear movement of the plunger into the rotation movement of the barrier arm around the shaft mounted in the base housing. The driver preferably utilizes a threaded shaft and drive nut to reciprocate the driver in operating the device. The drive, assembly provides a simple and reliable linkage between the barrier arm and the base housing.
Notwithstanding the above it is presently believed that there is a need and a potential commercial market for an improved remote controlled barrier for a parking spaces or the like. There should be a demand and a potential market for such barriers because they are relatively compact, easy to install and waterproof so they can be installed in open parking lots. In addition, the system in accordance with the present invention senses unauthorized vehicles in the vicinity of the space and prevents unauthorized users from blocking or entering the space. Further, the systems in accordance with the present invention include a sensor that senses the removal of a vehicle from a reserved space and automatically raises the barrier within a pre-selected time of any such movement. The device can also be further modified to include a relatively bright flashing light and audible sound during daylight hours and a soft-flashing light and lesser sound during hours of darkness.